BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Moravian College is going to take a look back at its 2016-17 athletic campaign over the next seven weeks with a pair of top 10 lists. The first list starting today will be the top 10 exciting games from the past year with a look at our No. 10 highlight – the women's soccer team defeating Elizabethtown College, 2-1, on a late penalty kick.
The Greyhounds, who completed the 2016 campaign at 10-7-1 overall and 5-2 in Landmark Conference action, would eventually reach the Landmark Conference Championship match in part because the squad was 6-2 in the month of October.
On the evening of October 12, the Hounds welcomed Landmark Conference rival Elizabethtown to the new turf John Makuvek Field for a match under the lights. For Moravian, it was the squad's second match in 18 days but was a key contest after falling to the University of Scranton in the conference opener.
The Greyhounds wouldn't take long to get onto the scoreboard as the squad took a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute. Moravian was awarded a corner kick, and senior forward Valentina Margiottiello drove the ball in and found the head of freshman defender Paige Weiss for a header into the back of the net. It was the first career goal for Weiss and the first of three times in four matches that the duo would connect on a goal in the first 16 minutes of a match off of corner kicks.
The Blue Jays would knot the score at 1-1 just three and a half minutes into the second half off of a rebound. The Greyhounds continued to press and ended up finishing the match with a 6-3 edge in corner kicks and a 7-5 advantage in shots on goal while both teams took 13 shots apiece.
Moravian junior goalie Jessica Lawton made four saves in the contest including two after the Blue Jays had tied the match to give the Hounds a shot at the victory.
With 3:03 remaining in the contest and the score still tied, Elizabethtown was called for a foul in the box. Moravian Head Coach Jeff Ykoruk called on Margiottiello to take the penalty kick. Margiottiello would calmly step up and drill a low shot into the right side of the net for her fourth goal of the season and second on a penalty kick.
The win started a 3-1 stretch in Landmark Conference matches for the Greyhounds with the one loss coming in double overtime.
Read the original game story at http://moraviansports.com/sports/wsoc/2016-17/releases/20161012xzn2om with links to stats, photos and the game video.
The number nine highlight in the top 10 exciting games of 2016-17 will be released on Monday, July 3.
